3. Impact The damage to a vehicle (and its driver) at the point of impact in a crash situation will also increase in proportion to the square of speed. In other words, double the speed = four times the damage, triple the speed = nine times the damage. A pedestrian knocked down at 60 Km/h (37.2 Mph) will most likely suffer four times as much damage as one knocked down at 30 Km/h (18.6 Mph) 4. Friction Friction is the resistance to motion that occurs when one body or surface moves across another. On a vehicle the most common points of friction are the brakes, the tyre contact with the road, air resistance, and engine and transmission components. It is the friction between the tyres and the road that allows the driving, braking and cornering forces to be transmitted to the road surface. Friction creates heat. Vehicle braking systems produce large amount of heat, which has to be dispersed very quickly. The secret to a good braking system is its ability to remove that heat quickly and efficiently. The faster a vehicle is travelling, or the heavier it is, the more heat the brakes generate in bringing the vehicle to a stop.
Centrifugal force (Overturning or side force)
Centrifugal force occurs when a moving object, such as a vehicle, changes direction. This is the same force that causes passengers to slide across the seat and loose freight to slide across a deck when cornering at higher speeds. The weight of a vehicle means that when it is travelling in a straight line it will try to continue in that direction, even when the driver turns the steering wheel.
20
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker